Blog Archives

WHO, WHO, WHO?

8/29/2013

                                                            WHO, WHO, WHO

                          Several years ago, months, when we lived back east,
                          our maple trees acquired a new, unexpected inhabitant...
                          a beautiful brown and white baby owl.
                          We suspected that the mama and papa birds
                          were are around somewhere, but like many folks,
                          they had grown fearful of openly exposing themselves
                          as conspicuously as do their young offspring.

                          We've always heard that owls are so smart simply
                          because they keep their eyes wide open and say little.
                          We suspect there may be some real truth in that folklore.
                          For example, this fledgling in our trees just kept saying,
                          "Who, Who, Who?"
                          That's certainly a good question isn't it.
                          Who shall give our families the best of care?
                          Who shall show and share the love of God
                          with their fellowman?
                          Who shall feed the poor and care for the wretched
                          and feeble?
                          Who shall build our hospitals, schools and churches?
                          Who shall glorify their Father in Heaven?
                          Who shall lift high their cross this day?
                          'Tis a wise old (or young) bird that can present
                          the question...Who?
                          And, it is a wise person who can supply the best
                          answer.

BOUNTEOUS HARVEST 218

8/29/2013

BOUNTEOUS HARVEST 218

                                          We are troubled on every side
Or so it would appear
                                          Yet we discern in the distant grey
                                          A golden dawn quietly drawing near

                                          Anxieties of the time press down
                                          Yet our misfortunes are easy to bear
         For we have a Father in Heaven
        Who listens to our honest prayer

                                          Every problem contains a hidden blessing
        We really have nothing to fear
         Clouds of darkness are now dispersing
         And God's plans are becoming clear

                                         With hope we look toward tomorrow
         With faith we cast away care
       Our burdens we leave far behind us
      And in the Lord's bounteous harvest,
      we'll share

(First published on September 9,1976)

THERE'S STILL TIME

8/21/2013

                                      THERE'S STILL TIME

                                Has life with all its troubles
Just seemed to drag you down
Please don't get discouraged
There's still time to turn around.
Take the Good Shepherd by the hand
He will love and understand
Peace of mind may now abound
There's still time to turn around.
His Holy Spirit is quietly moving
Like a mighty rushing wind
As we hear the trumpet sound
There's still time to turn around
There's still time to make amends
Before our last amen.
                              Allelu, allelu, amen.

QUIET, PLEASE

8/21/2013

QUIET, PLEASE

There is something to be said about quiet.
Used to, hospitals and rest homes had
Quiet, Please, or Quiet Zone signs posted
on their primises. We don't see them as
often, anymore.

Doctors and psychologists have long
understood the importance of quiet.
It can often relax, rejuvenate, reclaim
our better selves. Quiet can restore our
sense of sanity. It can prepare us for
the hectic days and events that surely
will come our way.

Quiet, quiet my little ones
Let my serenity overtake you
And give you peace
Quiet, quiet, now is the time
for rest
Let quiet suffice
(Written 8.18.2013)

COUNTING MOONBEAMS

8/18/2013

COUNTING MOONBEAMS

   Back in July, it was another one of those really
hot nights. With the temperature soaring above
100 degrees in the daytime, and not much cooler
in night time. I was laying in bed trying to go to
go to sleep, with little success. I even tried counting...
moonbeams, putting them in a jar and taking them
home with me. Didn't help. So, I just laid there and
after awhile, these thoughts ran through my head...

                                     If it can wait, let it
Pursue the Holy moment
Keep your lamps lit

   (First published on August 8.18.2013)

GOOD IS GOOD

8/18/2013

GOOD IS GOOD

Good is good and bad is bad.
That's the lesson most of us learn
as we grow up and mature to some
degree.
And, by the time we reach adulthood,
it's pretty easy to recognize the good
from the bad.
By the time we reach middle age, it
becomes obvious that quite often we
have been good and have done much
good.
We are also able to recognize the bad
things we have said and done, and
the good and bad things that have been
done to us.
Most of our lives seem to be a mixture
of good and bad. This mixture appears
to be the hallmark of humanity. And,
is one of the main reasons we sense
we need a savior.

(Written 8.02.2013)

LET NOTHING DISTURB YOU

8/8/2013

   LET NOTHING DISTURB YOU

So wrote Teresa of Avila...

   "Let nothing disturb you
Let nothing alarm you
While all things are passing
God is unchanging
Be patient and you will gain everything
With God in your heart nothing is lacking
God alone suffices"

As we become older, it dawns on us that
we worry too much, scurry too much, while
seeking happiness or fulfillment. We come to
realize that we cannot achieve enough or buy
enough to continually satisfy our wants and needs.
We do not need more of things. We need more
of God.
                                     (Written 8 August 2013)

HOPE ON 216

8/8/2013

HOPE ON 216

When night is at its darkest
And many clouds surround
When your mind has given up
And your friends have let you down
Let hope control the center of your heart
For God's love doth still abound

Rejoice in the Lord always
'Tis He who shall set us free
He washes all our sins away
He still lets blind men see
We may now have faith in tomorrow
With trust as our soliloquy

Hope on, Hope on
'Mid the struggle and the strife
Through the turmoil of this life
When your foes seem undefeatable
And your woes seem indefatigable
Hope on, Hope on, Hope on

(Written on September 12, 1976)

637-8687 217

8/8/2013

637-8687

   A few years ago, if you had lived in New
York City, you could have dialed the following
telephone number...637-8687...and an operator
would have given you the time of day.
That number did not remain, however. It
was changed, perhaps with good reason.

For, if you were to notice the letters equivalent
to the numerals 637-8687, you would have
discovered they spelled out the word...
N-E-R-V-O-U-S.
And, New Yorkers certainly did not need to be
reminded of just how nervous their fast paced,
hetic lives made them.

637-8687 is okay for those of you who enjoy
being nervous, but for me and my house, we
shall dial...435-4837 (HE LIVES).

THE CIA

8/2/2013

THE CIA

Can anyone stop the tide of immorality, graft
and corruption in our governmental systems?
Yes! This is definitely a job for the CIA.
Can the vulturous talons of terrorist extremists
be clipped before it is too late?
Again, this is certainly a task needing the talents
of the CIA.
Can the erosion and corrosion of America's homes
be curbed or curtailed?
The CIA must surely play a leading role in this
vital area.
Can perishing souls still be rescued, and wounded
hearts be healed?
Again, the best assistance available is through the
CIA.
In fact, if there is going to be a spiritual reformation
or renewal in our land, it must begin and be carried
forth by those who have always committed their lives
to these momentous tasks...the CIA (Christians in Action).